Lady'Back Relays Strong at Conference Meet

KNOXVILLE, Tenn.-The University of Arkansas relay team set a season-best time on the first day of the Southeastern Conference Swimming and Diving Championships, Wednesday, Feb. 15, in Knoxville, Tenn.

Arkansas began the conference meet with a ninth-place finish in the 200-medley relay.Junior Mariann Fulop, freshman Elizabeth Engs, junior Kristen Thibodeaux and freshman Summer Jackson clocked a 1:46.07 in the event.Overall, the Lady Razorbacks are currently in ninth place.

Swimming head coach Anne Goodman James said she was happy with the team’s performance in the very challenging field.

“The competition is phenomenal as always at the SEC’s,” she said. “We are focusing on achieving personal best times, and we did quite well with that.”

The Lady’Backs also took ninth in the 800-freestyle relay with the team of Thibodeaux, Fulop, and freshmen Macey Webb and Emily Fletcher.

Goodman James said she was pleased with the relays overall but she also knows that the team needs to improve before the individual events begin in the upcoming days.

“I was especially impressed with Mariann’s (Fulop) backstroke leadoff and with Kristen’s (Thibodeaux) butterfly split (in the medley relay),” she said. “Our only concern was how some of the 200-freestyle legs, on the 800-free relay, were split, but this gives us a chance to make some adjustments before they swim the individual 200 freestyle event on Friday.”

In the one-meter springboard, sophomore Brieanne Kushner led the squad with a 17th-place finish.Sophomores Jamie Hyslop, Hilarie Wilson and redshirt freshman Madison Palmer were 24th, 26th and 28th, respectively.

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